Article-transfer apparatus



Dec. 26, 1961 w. F. STEPHEN ARTICLE-TRANSFER APPARATUS Filed July 14, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet l 6 Z:- lynx/7 1 1 1 9 1 1 @1 "'ll] ///0 7 as I l x: a

INVENTOR. W E STEPHEN ATTORNEY Dec. 26, 1961 w. F. STEPHEN 3,014,323

ARTICLE-TRANSFER APPARATUS Filed July 14, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 23 I /s. w

COMPRESSED 3 INVENTQR. W ESTEPHE/V United States Patent 3,014,323 ARTICLE-TRANSFER APPARATUS William F. Stephen, Elmwood Park, Ill., assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed July 14, 1960, Ser. No. 42,882 8 Claims. (Cl. 53-246) The present invention relates generally to article-transfer apparatus, and more particularly to apparatus for feeding a succession of articles into a group of receiving seats that are provided at spaced intervals along the length of a moving receiver.

Accordingly, a general object of the invention is to provide new and improved article-transfer apparatus.

A more specific object is to provide new and improved apparatus for feeding a succession of articles into a group of receiving seats that are provided at spaced intervals along the length of a moving receiver.

In the manufacture of deposited carbon resistors in the telephone industry, small cylindrical resistors are provided having, for example, a length of X1 and a diameter of A2". These resistors are quite fragile, and must not be subjected to shocks or stresses of any great magnitude. Such resistors are formed with a ceramic core, a thin layer of carbon applied to the core by the decomposition of hydrocarbon gases, and a conducting layer of silver paint at the ends thereof. Subsequent to the carbon-applying step, it is necessary to take resistors from a random pile and place them into relatively deep seats formed at intervals along the length of a succession of advancing trays. The trays are advanced at variable intervals and speeds to a machine for applying the silver paint to the ends of the resistors, Which ends project from the trays.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device which is capable of automatically feeding small cylindrical articles, such as deposited carbon resistors, one into each seat of a group of receiving seats that are provided at equally spaced intervals along the lengths of a succession of trays, wherein the trays are moved at variable intervals and speeds one after the other along a predetermined path, such that one article will be fed into each seat of each tray regardless of the tray speed and such that no article will be fed at such times as no tray is in the receivng position.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for loading relatively fragile deposited carbon resistors into trays, wherein the resistors are lowered gently into relatively deep seats that are formed at in tervals along the trays, in such a manner that the resistors do not fall through any great distance during the transfer operation so as to avoid damage to the resistors.

' With the foregoing and other objects in View, a feeding apparatus in accordance with certain features of the invention may include a rotatable, but normally stationary, transfer wheel mounted above a predetermined path of movement of a receiver having a group of articlereceiv-ing seats at spaced intervals along the length thereof. The transfer Wheel is provided with a plurality of article-carrying pockets at spaced intervals around the periphery thereof. Means are provided, driven by the receiver at such time as it moves into an article-receiving position beneath the transfer wheel, for rotating the transfer wheel at a synchronized speed governed by the speed of the receiver so that each pocket in order is rotated to"? transfer position in alignment with a corresponding one of the seats as the receiver advances.

3,014,323 Patented Dec. 26, 196 1 Preferably, means are provided, at a feeding position located circumferentially before the transfer position, for quickly feeding an article into each empty pocket as that pocket passes the feeding position. Resilient means are preferably provided for stopping the transfer wheel in an oriented position with respect to the next successive pocket to be rotated into the transfer position whenever no seat is about to be advanced to the transfer position, the rotating means for the transfer wheel being designed to overcome the action of the stopping means whenever a seat is about to be advanced into the transfer position. Furthermore, it is desirable for many ap.- plications to provide means for engaging each article as it is discharged from the associated pocket and for lowering each article gently into the associated seat as that seat moves with the receiver away from the transfer position.

Other objects, advantages and aspects of the invention will appear from the following detailed description of a specific embodiment thereof, when taken in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of an article-transfer apparatus in accordance with the invention, with portions roken away to reveal structural details;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary vertical sectional view taken generally along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1 in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken generally along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2 in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 4 is a detail front view of a transfer wheel in accordance with the invention, as it would appear along the lines 4-4 of FIGS. 2 and 5; and

FIG. 5 is a side view of the transfer wheel along the line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, and in particular to FIG. 1, a receiver or tray 1 is provided, which is, a long generally rectangular unit having a series of eighteen transverse seats 2 2. A successionof deposited carbon resistors 3-3 are to be inserted one at a time into the seats 2--2 as the tray 1 is pushed manually (or by suitable automatic machinery) from top to botings 6--6, which are four in number and are providedtwo at each end. The seats 22 constitute relatively deep notches. cut in both legs of the U-shaped carrier 7 at intervals along its length so as to support the resistors 3-6, as best illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, between the sidebars 4 and 5 so that the ends of the resistors 3- 3 overhang the carrier 7 to facilitate a subsequent silverpainting operation.

The feeding apparatus includes a flat base 8 along which the tray 1 slides and a series of guides 99 for the tray 1. The tray 1 passes beneath a feeding head, designated generally by the numeral 10, to which a series of the resistors 3-3 are supplied through a plastic delivery tube 11 of a Venturi feeder, designated generally by the numeral 12, of the type disclosed in applicants related copending application, Serial No. 10,215, filed on February 23, 1960, now US. Patent 2,993,737, issued July 25, 1961. As described in detail in that application, the Venturi. feeder, in conjunction with a Syntron vibratory feeder (not shown herein), is capable of taking deposited carbon resistors from a random pile and propel ling them one after the other down the delivery tube 11 at a rate governed by the operation of a utilizing device, here the feeding head 10.

The Venturi feeder itself includes a Venturi tube having a bore designed to pass the resistors therethrough, a source of compressed gas, and a conduit connecting with the source of compressed gas and emptying into the bore in the Venturi tube at an acute angle pointing toward an exit end thereof. The vibratory feeder is provided for feeding the resistors to a point adjacent to and in alignment with an entrance end of the Venturi tube, so that the resistors are sucked into the entrance end of the Venturi tube and are blown out the exit thereof, through the delivery tube 11.

The feeding head it) includes a gear wheel 13 that is mounted within a housing 14 for free rotation on a shaft 15. Eight gear teeth 16-16 are formed on the gear wheel 13 and are capable of meshing with a series of notches 17-17 formed along the front bar 4 of the tray 1 at intervals corresponding exactly to the spacing between the seats 2-2. With this construction, the advancement of the tray 1 at any speed along the predetermined path defined by the guides 9-9 causes a proportional rotation of the gear wheel 13.

The gear wheel 13 is also formed with a series of hemispherical recesses 19-19, two of which are clearly shown in FIG. 2., along its rear face. The recesses 19- 19 are equal in number to the number of teeth 16-16, lie in a circle, and are circumferentially spaced in accordance with the spacing of the teeth 16-16, preferably being radially aligned therewith. A spring-pressed ball detent 20, which is carried in the housing 14, enters each recess 19 as the gear wheel 13 rotates and stops the rotation of the gear wheel 13 whenever that wheel is not positively driven by the notches 17-17 of any tray 1. The force exerted by the notches 17-17 on the gear teeth 16-16, whenever a tray 1 is being pushed beneath the feeding head 10, easily overcomes the action of the resilient stopping mechanism consisting of the ball detent 20 and the recesses 19-19 so as to rotate the gear wheel 13.

The gear wheel 13 drives a transfer wheel 21 through an interconnecting screw 22, best illustrated in FIG. 3. The transfer wheel 21 rotates about the shaft 15 and within a generally circular recess 22' in a housing 23. The transfer wheel 21 is formed with eight article-carrying pockets 24-24 at equally spaced intervals around the periphery thereof. Preferably, the pockets 24-24 are generally U-shaped slots formed through the entire width of the wheel 21 and opening along the outer periphery of the wheel, as illustrated in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5.

Each time the tray 1 advances a distance equal to the spacing between adjacent seats 2-2, the gear Wheel 13 and the transfer wheel 21 are rotated turn to a position where an upper, empty pocket 24A is in a resistor-receiving position and a full, lower pocket 24B is in a resistor-transferring position.

As the upper pocket 24A is rotated into alignment with the delivery tube 11 of the Venturi feeder 12, a resistor 3 is quickly blown by compressed air into the pocket 24A through a bushing 26 which is inserted through a wall of the housing 23. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the bushing 26 (which may be regarded as a continuation of the delivery tube 11) is closely spaced from one side of the transfer wheel 21 in alignment with the path of advancement of the open left side of each pocket 24 so as to feed a resistor 3 lengthwise of itself from the train of resistors 3-3 maintained at all times in the delivery tube 11 and bushing 26 into each pocket 24 as the pocket momentarily aligns with the bushing 26.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the front face of the transfer wheel 21 (that facing the bushing 26) is radiused or flared about the pockets 24-24, as indicated by the numeral 24, to allow the resistors 3-3 being urged through the bushing 26 a lead in entering the pockets 24-24. This facilitates the entry of the resistors 3-3 into the pockets 2424 by making the entry relatively gradual.

The width of the transfer wheel 21 is approximately equal to the length of the resistors 3-3, so that one resistor 3 is fed into each pocket 24 as each pocket passes through the receiving position and so that no resistors 3-3 are fed through the delivery tube 11 at any other time, such as when the transfer wheel 21 is stopped. The Venturi feeder 12, as disclosed fully in the abovementioned copending application, is always prepared to feed a resistor 3 quickly to the transfer wheel 21, and does so at a rate governed solely by the operation of the transfer wheel. A narrow gap 26' is provided between the housings 14 and 23 to permit the escape of a minor amount of compressed air which passes through the delivery tube 11 and bushing 26.

At the same time that a resistor 3 is thus being fed into the upper slot 24A, a resistor 3 in the lower pocket 24-B drops by gravity out of that pocket and falls through a narrow outlet 27 at the bottom of the housing 23 a short distance toward the aligned tray seat 2. As illustrated in the drawings, the housing 23 fits relatively close around the transfer wheel 21 so as to maintain the resistors 3-3 within the pockets 24-24 until the transfer position (24B) is reached, at which position the lowermost resistor 3 is free to drop through the outlet 27. The outlet 27 is shaped, as viewed in FIG. 3, with a tapering side behind the transfer position so that the resistors 3-3 always fall in the same spatial position.

As best illustrated in FIG. 3, the seats 2-2 have substantial depth, which makes it undesirable to allow the relatively fragile resistors 3-3 to fall the entire distance from the transfer wheel 21 to the bottoms of the seats 2-2. Accordingly, a pair of thin camming plates 28- 28 are provided, having identical surface configurations as shown in FIG. 3. The plates 28-28 are mounted on a pivoted bar 29, and normally extend upward through an aperture 30 in the base 8 to upper positions shown in FIG. 2 between the side bars 4 and 5 and the carrier 7. The bar 29 and plates 28-28 are normally biased to the upper position by a spring 31 and are maintained there by a stop 32.

As each resistor 3 falls out of the associated lowermost pocket 24B, it falls a short distance and then lodges against a pair of flat high surfaces 33-33 of the camming plates 28, as indicated in FIG. 3, whereby the resistor is supported within an upper portion of the associated tray seat 2. This upper portion is designed for engaging the resistor 3 so that, as the tray 1 moves to the left, as viewed in FIG. 3, away from the transfer position, the resistor 3 is pushed along the camming plates 28-28 until it rolls down a pair of downwardly sloping surfaces 34-34 of the camming plates 28-28 located after the transfer position (at the left ends of the camming plates 28-28 as viewed in FIG. 3) and comes to rest gently in the bottom of the seat 2.

As each tray 1 advances to the feeding head 10 in the first instance, the front bushings 6-6 ride over a second pair of downwardly sloping camming surfaces 35-35 of the camming plates 28-28, which surfaces are located before the transfer position at the right ends of the cam ming plates 28-28 as viewed in FIG. 3. With this arrangement, the front bushings 6-6 depress the camming plates 28-28 and the mounting rod 29 against the action of the biasing spring 31 so as to permit entry of the tray 1 beneath the head 10. After the front bushings 6-6 have cleared, the plates 28-28 spring back to the normal operating position previously described. The same procedure occurs with respect to the rear bushings 66 as the tray 1 passes out from beneath the head 10.

When each tray 1 is filled, it is automatically conveyed to a mechanism for applying silver paint to the ends of the resistors 3-3. After each tray 1 has been filled with 18 resistors 3-3, the ball detent 20 lodges in an oncoming one of the hemispherical recesses 19-19 to prevent further rotation of the transfer Wheel 21 until such time as the next tray 1 has been moved to an engaging position beneath the feeding head 10. As best illustrated in FIG. 1, the notches 17-17 are generally coextensive with the seats 22 so that the gear wheel 13 and transfer wheel 21 will be rotated only when a seat 2 is about to be advanced into the transfer position, regardless of the total length of the tray 1.

Thus, due to the arrangement of the ball detent 20 and stopping recesses 19--19, the transfer wheel 21 is stopped in a positively oriented position with respect to the next successive pocket 24 to be rotated into the discharge position whenever no seat 2 is about to be advanced to 'the transfer position. The transfer wheel 21 then remains stationary in this oriented position until such time as the next successive tray 1 passes under the feeding head to a point where the leading seat 2 therein is about to be advanced to the transfer position, at which time the leading notch 17 begins to rotate the transfer Wheel 21 at'a rate set by the tray speed, overcoming the temporary stopping mechanism, until that tray is also filled and the trailing notch 17 loses contact with the gear wheel 13. i

In view of the'foregoing'detailed description of one illustrative embodiment'of the invention, it is apparent that a simple and eflicient device has been provided for automatically feeding articles into receiving seats that are provided at spaced intervals along the lengths of a succession of trays, such that one article will be fed into each seat of each tray regardless of the tray speed and such that no article will be fed at such times as no tray is in the receiving position. It will further be apparent that various modifications may be made from the specific details described in conjunction with the illustrative embodiment of the invention without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for feeding a succession of articles one into each seat of a group of receiving seats that are provided at equally spaced intervals along the length of a succession of trays, the trays being moved at variable intervals and speeds one after the other along a predetermined path; which apparatus comprises a rotatable, but normally stationary, transfer Wheel mounted above the path of movement of the trays, said transfer wheel having a plurality of generally U-shaped article-carrying pockets provided at equally spaced intervals around the periphery thereof and Opening along the outer periphery of said transfer wheel; means, driven by each tray at such time as it moves into an article-receiving position beneath said transfer wheel, for rotating said transfer wheel at a synchronized speed governed by the speed of the receiver so that each pocket in order is rotated to a transfer position in alignment with a corresponding one of the seats as each tray advances, the pockets being so constructed and arranged that an article is transferred from each pocket to a corresponding seat whenever that pocket is rotated to the transfer position; resilient means for stopping the transfer Wheel in an oriented position with respect to the next successive pocket to be rotated into the transfer position whenever no seat is about to be advanced to the transfer position, the rotating means for the transfer wheel being designed to overcome the action of said stopping means whenever a seat is about to be advanced into the transfer position; and means for feeding an article into each empty pocket before it has again passed the transfer position.

2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the driving means for the transfer wheel comprises a series of notches formed along one side of each tray, the notches being equal in number to the number of seats and spaced in accordance with the spacing between the seats; and a gear wheel having teeth equal in number to the number of pockets and spaced in accordance with the circumferential spacing of the pockets, said gear wheel being secured coaxially to the transfer wheel so as to rotate the same and being mounted in sucha position as to engage the notches along the tray so that the advancing notches rotate said gear and transfer wheels whenever a seat is about to be advanced into the transfer position.

3. Apparatus for feeding a succession of cylindrical articles into a group of receiving seats that are provided at spaced intervals along the length ofa receiver which is moved along a predetermined path when it is desired to fill the seats; which apparatus comprises a rotatable, but normally stationary, transfer 'wheel mounted above the path of movement of the receiver and having a width approximately equal to the length of the articles, said transfer wheel having a plurality of generally U-shaped articlecarrying pockets at spaced intervals around the periphery thereof formed through the entirewidth of the transfer wheel and opening along the outer periphery thereof; means driven by the receiver at such time as it moves into an article-receiving position beneath said transfer wheel, for rotating said transferwheel at a synchronized speed governed by the speed ofthe receiver so that each pocket in order is rotated to a transfer position in alignment with a corresponding one of the seats as the receiver advances; a housing within which said transfer wheel is mounted, said housing being designed for maintaining the articles within the pockets until the transfer position is reached, at which position said housing has a narrow outlet designed to permit each article to drop by gravity into an associated receiving seat in alignment therebeneath; and a Venturi feeder having a tube that is closely spaced from one side of said transfer wheel in alignment with the path of advancement of an open side of each pocket so as to feed an article lengthwise of itself into each pocket from the side thereof as each pocket momentarily aligns with the delivery tube.

4. The apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein the face of the transfer wheel which faces the delivery tube is flared about the pockets so as to facilitate the entry of the articles into the pockets.

5. Apparatus for feeding a succession of articles into a group of receiving seats that are provided at spaced intervals along the length of a receiver which is moved along a predetermined path when it is desired to fill the seats; which apparatus comprises a rotatable, but normally stationary, transfer wheel mounted above the path of movement of the receiver and having a plurality of article-carrying pockets at spaced intervals around the periphery thereof, one side of said transfer wheel being provided with a plurality of hemispherical recesses that are equal in number to the number of pockets, lie in a circle, and are circumferentially spaced in accordance with the spacing of the pockets; means driven by the receiver at such. time as it moves into an article-receiving position beneath said transfer wheel, for rotating said transfer wheel at a synchronized speed governed by the speed of the receiver so that each pocket in order is rotated to a transfer position in alignment with a corresponding one of the seats as the receiver advances, the pockets being so constructed and arranged that an article is transferred from each pocket to a corresponding seat whenever that pocket is rotated to the transfer position; and a springpressed ball detent designed to enter each recess in order and stop said transfer wheel in an oriented position with respect to the next successive pocket to be rotated into the transfer position whenever no seat is about to be ad vanced to the transfer position, the rotating means for said transfer wheel being designed to overcome the action of said d'etent whenever a seat is about to be advanced into the transfer position.

6. Apparatus for feeding a succession of articles into a group of relatively deep receiving seats that are provided at spaced intervals along the length of a receiver which is moved along a predetermined path when it is desired to fill the seats; which apparatus comprises a rotatable, but normally stationary, transfer wheel mounted above the path of movement of the receiver and having a ferred from-each pocket toa corresponding seat wheneverthat pocket is rotated tothe transfer position; and-means for engaging each article as it is discharged-from the associated pocket and for lowering-each article gently into the associated seat asthattseat moves with the receiver away frorn the transfer position.

7. The apparatus as recitedin claim 6, wherein the articles are cylindrical; wherein the seats are sufficiently narrow that the articles overhang the seats on either side;

and wherein the engaging-and-lowering means comprises a pair of camming plates mountedon opposite sides of the seats, said camming plates having high surfaces at the transfer position designed to support each article within an upper portion of 'an 'associated seat, the upper portions of the seats beingrdesigned for engaging the articles andpushing them along the-camming plates on continued;

8v movement of the receiver, the transfer plates having downwardly slopingi surfaces after the transfer. position'so that the articles roll down the sloping surfaces and eventually come to rest gently in the bottoms of the seats.

8. The apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein the receivers rare trays having relatively long side bars fastened together at the ends thereof; wherein the seats are relatively deep notches cut at equally spaced intervals along a carrier that is spaced equally from each of the side bars by a plunality of bushings; wherein the camming plates are resiliently biased upward and are normally received in the spaces defined between the carrier and the side bars; and wherein the camming plates are provided with second downwardly tapering camming surfaces before the'trans fer position so that the bushings at either end of the trays depress the camrning plates momentarily to permit passage of the trays over the eamming plates.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,715,968 Weber et'al June 4, 1929 2,613,861 Goerlitz Oct. 14, 1952 2,699,278 Wysocki Jan. 11,195 2,842,923 Kjellsen July 15, 1958 

